Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-17
AMoNG THE MEXICANS.
DESCRIPTION OF CACAHUAMiLPA,
THE WONDERFUL CAVERN.
Subseranean Abode OF the Genii-
What Else Is to be Found There
interesting Data.

Especial correspondence Vi Inc hhcohD't NUM-
CCERNAvACA, September S, 1887.
The witching hour of 5 A. VI. found us
assembled in the courtyard, all on horse
back, the party of yesterday augmented by
the valiant Alcaldi and three other tan
colored Mexieanoes from Acapansingo, be-
sides two extra guides, several well-armed
mozos, and another donkey laden from
head to tail with luggage.
In the early morning, the atmosphere OF
the terra caliente is the most perfect that
can be imagined. Merely to breathe it is
happiness enough, and the natives are wise
in their habit of arising long enough before
"sun-up" TO accomplish all the business OF
the day by the time foreigners are ready to
begin and then, while the latter are fret
ting and Tuning during the heated hours,
the Mexicans enjoy peaceful siesta be-
tween II o'clock and evening.
Owing to sleepiness and placid delight,
We rode till daylight in perfect silence-a
sidering there were half dozen women in
the party. We studied the familiar faces
Of stars We had known in childhood, which
somehow look alien and strange here-like
ourselves-so far from home Then light
began 10 dawn, 50 that We could distin-
guish one another's faces and make sure
that we were not company of spooks in
shadow-land and soon the sun arose in a
blaze o. golden glory seen only in the
tropics.
Later we left the fertile lands that adorn
the bases Of the foothills. and mounted by
steep paths, where our horses picked their
way like goats over loose stones, to barren
hight9 where nothing grows but stunted
nopois ("prickly pears") and miserable
buish-oreen maguey After hours of hard
riding
TIE DREADED BARRANCAS
We're close before us, between two noun
tainS, one behind the other, which it was
necessary to cross by bride paths that
look like roads for birds rather than for
human beings In not little trepida-
ton we began the ascent, Indian-flc, of
course and for about twenty minutes our
horses scrambled up walls that seemed
almost perpendicular. Then we began
slowly to desccnd-now in as great danger
VI iilNiliuS bNtl Out uOiNtN 'tS We
had been before of sliding backwards
when single misstep or stumble would
have prevented the chronicling of this
" Ger true tale
Thus the second mountain, which was
even sleeper than the first, was safely
crossed, and about 4 2. NJ. VIC cantered into
the lively little town of San Francisco de
Tctecaia. Its white-washcd houses peeped
ont picturesquely from among the orange
trees at the foot of wooded hills and q
little river, crossed by many rustic bridges
murmurs through it. 1t was fete day
and musical bells were ringing merrily
while well-dres.ed rancherers aud their
families were fiocking in crowds from the
church to the Plaza dc TorroS, where 4
bull-fght was in progress. We longed tc
tarrv here with our backaches and
bruises, but like that foolish boy with his
banner Excelsior r were obliged to press
onward and upward.
i'y and by the moon arose Serenely, and
i soft breeze, fragrant with orange bios,
SONS, wandered through the trees. Some
times We passed pueblo Of scattered In
dian huts, each with its little fire of stick.
lighted i'll the court, Illuminating the
brown faces Of woman baking tortiVoS, anC
their mahogany-hued babies rolling in the
dirt. vt the sound of our horses feet 4;
chorus OF dogs, yelping in discordant fury
gave notice Of their total disapprobation o
night travellers in general but the people
seldom even turned their heads to look a
lis, rs if such cavalcadcs were matters o
every day Afterwards We learned tina
this unusual sullenneSs has arisen from
their difficulties with Protestant missiona
RIGS stationed Whereabouts. In their mind
the name -i,aerjcano is synonymous t.
miSsionario, and both mean tanatico, whom
to kill would be doing God good service.
The remembrance of that evenings Jour
ney, mingled with sleepiness and fatigue
seems now like the phantasmagoria of {
dreani-a strange tumble of misty past and
uncertain present. 1t was fully 10 O'Clock
before the fires Of the sugar factory on tho
CoCOYLA HACIENDA,
Where we were TO pass tie night, were
seen in the valley below us, darling w
their red tongues among the trees. Sc
very tired were We that even the smoking
supper offered no charms, and we SLEPT
the sleep of the Just without the customary
precaution If shaking the sheets for scor.
pions, or searching under the pillows for
serpents and centipedes
Morning, however, found Us good as
new and long before day-hreak We were
off for the caverns by the light Of a misty
morn. After hours of billy road We reached
the pretty village of Casctlamilpas. where
breakfast had been ordered in advance
Here numbers Of men and boys surrounded
~ and followed in noisy procession, till we
looked like 4 regiment of ragamutfins but
presently the road became so bad that the
stragglcrs one bv one deserted. The chain
OF mountains into whose bosom the cav
ern leads i. black and barren beyond dc.
scription. Within half mile to the
mouth of the cave we came to place even
more dangerous than the barrancas of the
previous day--a narrow path, oyerhanging
al appalling precipice and bordering per
pendicular cliff. with barely room enough
between earth and heaven for the horses
feet, where a SINGLE false step, or the slid.
ing away Of loose earth on the edge of the
abvSs, meant inevitable destruction
Arriving al last near the entrance to the
cavern, we dismounted and climbed the res;
OF the way on foot, among stones and
gravel, to the mysterious mouth of the
mountain. Here-sacrilegious though Il
scemed-while the guides and mozos were
preparing torches and making ready the
fireworks. We sat down with the breath OF
the suhterraneon chambers blowing upon
Us, and fortified ourselves for lalors Il
come on chicken and hard eggs, biscuits ana
sherry, with egg-shells for glasses, greer
leaves for napkins, and fingers for forks.
The sun was already high in the heaven.
and shining with intense brightness on thc
Wild scenery that surrounded us, when
wiki sensations of awe, not mmixed witt
the superstitious fears of our Indian con,
ponerocs-who believe the cavern to be The
abode Of evil spirits-we turned
FROM DAYLIGHT TO ETERNAL DARKNESS
And strained our eyes to look down tn,
weil-like passage The entrance is superl
portal, and the rocks which support tn,
great arch are so symmetrically disposed
that it is hard to believe they are not TIA,
work of art. Huge blocks OF broken rccl
are tossed about in widest confusion, anC
clumbering straight down, perhaps tw,
hundred feet, what was our astonishmen
10 find ourselves in magnificent bu
gloomy palace, filed with the most gigan
tic and uncanny figures the imagination
can conceive. Our guides had kindled .